Sportsbeat, Another magical win at home for first place Tigers
The Tigers worked some home field magic again Tuesday in a comeback performance that should be a lock for the 2010 highlight reel. Johnny Damon hit another walk-off homer against the pesky Baltimore Orioles, who really wanted to win that game. Damon, who hit his 2,500th career hit earlier in the contest, was looking to send the ball to the Penobscot Building way downtown.
What amazes me about Damon is he doesn?t look like a power hitter. He throws the bat through the strike zone, swings level, and almost always makes good contact. Damon has made a summer watching the Tigers a lot more enjoyable. He was scuffing a little bit on the road, but the Tigers played nine-straight games against playoff contending teams.
Damon wasn?t happy with himself and vowed to step up his game. He?s been golden in the first two games back at Comerica this week. General manager Dave Dombrowski took a lot of heat for signing Damon, because fans believed, when all the chips were on the table, it was a Damon for Curtis Granderson deal. Hold on! We got Austin Jackson in the Granderson trade and he?s been terrif
While Damon got mobbed at home plate, it was Miguel Cabrera who deserved the ?hero? label for keeping the Detroiters in first place. His ninth-inning muscle shot, that was ?looong gone,? as Ernie would have called it, tied the game at five. The Tigers were down by two. With one out, Damon, again earning his paycheck, walked ahead of Cabrera?s moon shot. Cabrera also had a triple. He?s that rare Major Leaguer, that when he strides to the plate, fans stop what their doing and watch each pitch. At home, nobody can touch the channel when he?s on deck, or about to hit.
Even though I?m still not sold on this team, being in contention makes the summer so much better.